It’s time for a Fab Four singalong

Victoria Film Festival director Kathy Kay peers out from behind a huge cardboard cutout of The Beatles from Yellow Submarine. The film is being screened for the upcoming SingCinema event on Saturday (May 14).

The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine continues family friendly film trend

The Beatles are looking for some backup singers for this Saturday’s (May 14) Victoria Film Festival’s SingCinema.

It’s not often that belting out tunes in the middle of a movie theatre is encouraged, but here it is.

Originally the VFF had arranged to show the film The Sound of Music, but although it had the rights to show the film, it appeared they didn’t have to the rights to the singalong portion.

With the show-must-go-on mentality, the Von Trapp family was traded in for four lads from Liverpool the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine.

“We figured that Yellow Submarine was the best option,” said Liam Sherriff, operations manager of VFF. “It has all the great classics in it.”

During the film patrons will be encouraged to belt out popular Beatles tune such as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “All Together Now” and of course “Yellow Submarine.”

“When a song comes on, the words are subtitled on the screen,” Sherriff explained. “Most people already know all the words, so the subtitles are just a reminder.”

Prior to the start of the film, a host will lead the audience through a vocal warm-up and run a costume contest for everyone who dressed in character for the show.

“The crazier the costume the better,” Sherriff said, adding that at a SingCinema showing of Mary Poppins, someone came dressed as a chimney sweep in a chimney.

Everyone will also receive a goody bag filled with props to use during the show.

“This is going to be a treat. It’s a great event. It’s more than a film – it’s an experience,” Sherriff said. “This is a good family event.”

For the SingCinema events, only movies with either a G or PG rating are shown.

The VFF started SingCinema in 2010 to help bring in revenue to make up for lost funding from government funding cutbacks.

Other singalong films shown have included Grease and The Wizard of Oz.